New Orleans, Louisiana – This past spring, First Lady Michelle Obama announced her latest initiative called “Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness” which calls upon major cities to end veteran homelessness by the end of next year.
However, the city believes it will meet its goal the end of this year, a full year ahead of schedule. The charitable feat is being accomplished by the acquisition of an abandoned Catholic School once called “Sacred Heart”. The facility has been converted into a 109-apartment complex which is designed to provide housing to homeless vets.
Bear in mind, the city has a much larger problem with homelessness, and most people in that condition are being ignored in order to assist the veterans. That’s not to say the vets don’t deserve assistance. As one homeless vet, who goes by the name Donald C., explained, his eight years in Iraq and Afghanistan saw him performing the hardest job there was for an American.
He expected the gratitude of the nation he defended to translate into steady employment. However, he quickly found that his military experience amounted to very little in a competitive workforce. For Donald C., post-war life has been far harder than what he endured in the military. He has spent countless nights sleeping under overpasses, outside the public library, and the local shelter.
While he is still in need of gainful employment, having the stress of where to eat & sleep eliminated should go a long way to helping him get back on his feet.